Macworld Chugs Along Without Apple

The Macworld show in San Francisco, which typically occurs several weeks after the massive Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, was a magnet of attention back when Apple held court there four years ago. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs took to the Macworld stage in 2007 to unveil the first iPhone, which went on to propel Apple to become the world’s largest tech company. In 2008, Apple showed off its thinnest laptop, the MacBook Air, at Macworld.

Apple hasn’t participated in Macworld since 2009, saying it interacts with more customers through its stores than it could ever hope to through the show. Apple also holds its own media events when it chooses to.

For Macworld, Apple’s withdrawal has had mixed results. The show has grown to 300 exhibitors this year from about 180 the first year without Apple. But attendance has fallen a little to 25,000 attendees, from 30,000 projected in 2010.

Still, “that’s a sizable show for most markets,” said Paul Kent, Macworld’s general manager. The show opens Thursday in San Francisco’s Moscone Center and runs through February 2.

The show has focused heavily on Apple’s mobile devices and has rebranded itself as “Macworld/iWorld: The Ultimate iFan Event.” Mr. Kent also said that the show sold out of space it allocated for 100 app developers. The show has also added a music and photo events.

Macworld has also attracted celebrities to speak at the event, including “Star Trek” star Jonathan Frakes and the comedian Sinbad. This year, Fred Armisen from “Saturday Night Live” and the hit TV show “Portlandia,” and Ashton Kutcher, who stars in a new feature film about Mr. Job’s life, will appear.

Mr. Kent said he believes Macworld has moved on without Apple being the anchor of the show, and can still offer a relevant voice in the sea of consumer electronics events.